In stormy weather

Italy’s coast guard rescues 130 migrants from the sea

An Italian coast guard ship has rescued 130 migrants who were on board a small fishing boat not far from Calabria. The boat had left Turkey on Thursday and was located 110 miles (around 200 kilometers) south of the southern Italian city of Crotone. 

The rescue operation was complex due to the rough and bad weather conditions, as the coast guard reported. When the boat was located, there was a force 5 swell with winds of 45 knots and waves six meters high. Coastguard personnel transferred the migrants to a patrol boat, which arrived in the port of Crotone after a seven-hour journey.

Refugees from Afghanistan and Iran
The group of migrants, which included 27 women and 30 minors, six of whom were unaccompanied, consisted mainly of Afghans and Iranians. A pregnant woman and a disabled man were taken to hospital. All those rescued were suffering from hypothermia. They were accommodated in a migrant center.

Since the beginning of 2025, 3368 migrants have arrived in Italy after crossing the Mediterranean, compared to 2258 in the same period in 2024. Most of the migrants arriving in Italy this year come from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Syria, according to the Italian Ministry of the Interior. Italy is currently taking care of 140,000 asylum seekers.